In my four decades as a cyclist, all sorts of animals have crossed my path: dogs, cats, squirrels, chipmunks, cattle, chickens, rabbits, otters, raccoons, horses, armadillos, lizards, macaques and an Alpine Ibex. And, of course, deer--including one that darted across the lane I was riding in the Bronx a few weeks ago.
A deer crossing might be one of cyclists' most common fears,at least in the Americas, as it can do some real damage and one has a chance of encountering one in rural or wooded areas from Alaska to Chile. On the other hand, one doesn't have much of a chance of encountering an ibex or macaque unless one rides in their native lands.
Such fears were justified for a group of cyclists in North Carolina.
Fortunately, none of those cyclists were hurt, even though the crash sent the deer flying over them. The critter, though, wasn't so lucky: It died.
A deer crossing might be one of cyclists' most common fears,at least in the Americas, as it can do some real damage and one has a chance of encountering one in rural or wooded areas from Alaska to Chile. On the other hand, one doesn't have much of a chance of encountering an ibex or macaque unless one rides in their native lands.
Such fears were justified for a group of cyclists in North Carolina.
Fortunately, none of those cyclists were hurt, even though the crash sent the deer flying over them. The critter, though, wasn't so lucky: It died.
What he said!
ReplyDeleteAll it took was 2 secs.
ReplyDeleteYow! i recently spent a long weekend in U.P. Michigan and Wisconsin driving support for a grand randonnee, much of it at night. My biggest fear, besides the 18-year-old drunk drivers, was having a deer run out from the woods. Actually, one did so just as i was slowing down to pull into a controle. Fortunately for us both, it made it across safely.
ReplyDeletei don't know who to feel sorrier for here- the driver or the deer. Truly horrifying footage!
It is rare for cyclists to get hit by deer since they are a lot easier for a running deer to avoid than a large, speeding car. I hadn’t considered the scenario in the video, however.
ReplyDeleteI was nearly bowled over once while riding around the Yorktown Battlefield. A deer ran across the road about twenty feet in front of me. I was so busy looking at him I didn't see the second one that passed what seemed to be a foot in front of me.
ReplyDeleteVoyage and Resty--Really!
ReplyDeleteMike--Drunk drivers or deer? Hmm... I think the drunk drivers scare me more because they are less in control of themselves--and can become very belligerent.
Steve--Good point. Still, it's startling when a deer darts across the path thirty feet in front of you.
Phillip--That's sort of having two lightning bolts just miss you.